Cure for Cancer!

I remember a time around 10 years ago or more when every 6 to 12 months you would hear about some promising break through that promised to beat X, Y or Z cancer.

Well, these days they come a lot more often, and in fact I have seen one yesterday and one today. However, the new ways of combating cancer are for all cancers, not just the fashionable ones.

Most ways of dealing with cancer relied on battering everything on the basis that healthy tissue would recover whilst cancer cells would not. Radio therapy certainly works this way. So no cure has been pleasant.

Drugs like Herceptin have been developed but are specific to one type of cancer, or rather one subset.

The problem with cancers is that they are of course quite a lot like normal human cells, so it has been hard to target them specifically.

Well, not so know, and more bizarrely the two things that can beat cancer are both naturally occurring. Odds are you have had at least one of them, and if you like hot food, both, so are fairly safe as well.

The BBC has this on Jalapeno peppers as a cure, or rather the chemical that makes them hot, capsaicin which does interesting things to a cancer cells mitochondria. Mitochondria are a cells boiler house, and almost all cells have them. Apparently they are different in cancer cells, and have different proteins in them. Capsaicin binds to the proteins and effectively shuts the mitochondria down leading to cell death. It does not affect normal cells because they don't have the protein. You can also read this on when the jalapeno pepper cure came to light for prostate cancer.

The Guardian has this on the Common cold. Another thing that is different about cancers is that in order to survive they shut down the immune system locally. If they didn't the immune system would wipe the cancer out and that would be that. What scientists have found is they can use this against the cancer by giving it the common cold.

The common cold is a virus, and like all viruses it gets into a cell, replicates until it fills the cell, which then bursts and then all the "children" go on to do the same to other cells. Whilst this is going on, and cells are dying the immune system gets it's act together and finds a way to kill off the virus. Except not in tumours, because the cancer cells have shut down the immune system so they are easy pray. What is more, out side this sphere of protection the immune system is waiting for any common cold viruses.

For me the exciting thing about both techniques is that the do not damage healthy tissue, or at least not significantly and so should have a lot less in the way of side effects.

Well, as a smoker I have to say I am pleased. Now all I have to worry about is whether the milk I have in my copious amounts of tea are negating all the good effects of having the tea in the first place!

Joining up the dots in Prison Policy

Prisons minister Gerry Sutcliffe has said prisoners will abscond, in a debate in Parliament, when question by Nick Herbert Conservative MP for Arundel and South Downs, in whose constituency Ford open Prison is.

Well, it is true, having made deliveries to both Lewis Prison and Ford Open Prison, I can tell you that you can simply walk out of Ford with no problem at all.

In principle this is not a huge problem, these people are supposedly low risk. However in the case of Ford Open Prison, they only discovered a prisoner was missing when the police dropped him back off. A tad embarrassing I would have thought.

You can read the BBC's article on the story here.

Then I read this in the BBC, about two murders absconding from an open prison, you have to wonder how exactly the risk assessment is done.

Open prisons have a place, but increasingly it seems to be somewhere to put prisoners because they have run out of space.

Mind you, if you want to look at some of the problems at some open prisons you can read this article from the BBC about two prisoners who escaped from Leyhill Open Prison and trekked their way back to Gloucester Prison and asked to be taken back in. You just could not make that story up!

Update 00:53

The prison from which two prisoners have just absconded is Sudberry Open Prison, which now has a total of 5 killers on the run. You will remember the scandal of Derbyshire Police not wanting to release photos of two escaped killers on "human rights grounds" which was rightly rubbished by Lord "Cheerful Chappie" Falconer as a load of tosh. You can of course release pictures of escaped convicts if you are looking for them.

Government spent £206 on IT per man, woman and child last year!

If you don't read Dizzy thinks, you should. He has this article on the subject, and got the £206 by reading carefully between the lines.

Just so as you know, you could have bought a laptop in the PC World* sales for £199 after Christmas, so that is a lot to spend on IT in ONE year!

*Please note, I in absolutely no way recommend any one ever use or buy any thing from PC World.

Dr. John Reid Scuppered by latest farce

You will no doubt have heard about the latest farce at the Home Office, where it appears that records from other EU countries about convictions for people coming back here have just been lying on some ones desk. That is details of 27,529 cases (That is one big desk!)

Well Comrade Reid is holding an "urgent" meeting this morning after which he may make a statement. Will that be his resignation? Probably not. What I think we can be certain of is that he won't be challenging Gordon Brown for the job of Prime minister, as he is losing credibility is fading very very fast.

You can read the BBC's article here.

Update 16:16

If you are looking for other reasons why John Reid won't make it you can also read this and this.

MI5 and emailing the culture of Fear

Apparently MI5 are going to begin emailing terror alerts to people to let them know if the terrorist threat changes. This is information already available on their website, but soon you will be able to subscribe and get terror in your email.

Sound like a good idea until you consider the real world.

In the real world all sorts of alerts purporting to be from the likes of Microsoft and AOL do the rounds causing endless worry for the ignorant who can't spot a hoax even if it has got email hoax written on it in ten foot high letters of flame.

It is nice to know that this government is showing of its technical knowledge by playing to the hoaxers. Something which Microsoft and AOL do not do incidentally.

So expect to see lots of hoax emails saying "terror alert raised" and possibly directing people to websites which look like MI5's with all sorts of malicious rubbish on them.

Well done to the once again incompetent government.

You can read the BBC's article here.

Update Wenesday 10th of January, 12:22

Just had a comment. I could not think of it getting worse but apparently it does. The email alerts are to be sent by a US based marketing company. So if you have subsribed MI5 send you data around the world in plain text. What is more, who knows who these people will sell your email address too.

What an incompetent bunch of losers.

You can read this on the PJC journal, and this on spyblog.

Rats join sinking ship!

In what has to be a somewhat unusual move two rats appear to have joined a rapidly sinking whip.

These would be two Conservative members of the House of Lords who have joined UKIP, namely Lord Pearson of Rannoch and Lord Willoughby de Broke. You can read the article in the Times here.

It will be remembered that Nigel Farrage was elected leader after the farce with Robert "The Tangerine Man" Kilroy Silk joined and left to form his own party VeritArse (Who he then left).

UKIP now seem to be in some sort of state of complete collapse with local associations collapsing all over the place like for example Southend, West Dorset and now Plymouth!

West Brom Blog has this, whilst Iain Dale has this and the BBC has this.

Of course the Times article has it as bad new for David Cameron, but you have to laugh don't you? If two people, clearly dafter than a brush rush to join a sinking ship you have to say good riddence, and *cough* good bye! (Or words to that effect)

A Mobile revolution in Africa!

I was frankly a bit sad to hear a few years ago that one f the fuels to the fire that is the civil strife in the Democratic Republic of the Congo was a mineral mines to make capacitors small enough for mobile phones. My luxury killing in Africa, plus la change.

However there is hope. There is something I did not think would ever happen, but it is. Africans are getting mobile phones, and not just the rich or the white, but lots of people.

I listened to a Radio 4 and now having just watched BBC two's Newsnight I am stunned to learn that in Kenya a third of the adult population have mobile phones. It is revolutionising peoples lives. They can where ever they are (Yes, pretty much where ever they are) pick up the phone and make a call. They can get text services and even surf the Internet.

The Newsnight reporter, Paul Mason, even tried to get off network by going to the bottom of the Rift Valley, and the the touristy bit with the Safari parks, but the bit with the Masai. These poor nomadic tribesmen wouldn't have a phone and probably no coverage.

Well, not so. The reporter could even surf the net their if he wanted to, and they had mobiles as well!

To give you some idea of the revolution, a farmer used to sell his goods to a middle man. he could pay what he liked as the farmer had no way of knowing what price was available elsewhere. Not so any more. He can get the price of tomatoes any where and any time, so he knows where to send his crops to market. This is already making a huge difference to people. No longer are they trapped with out contact with the outside world or the world in the next town.

Apparently most people in Africa's largest shanti town don't own mobile phones, but then 15 years ago you could have said the same about Kensington and Chelsea. The fact is some people in the slums DO have them! Some seem to use it for mutual political activism. Fantastic!

In fact Africa is the fastest growing mobile market in the world.

So how come Africa has mobile phones but otherwise crumbling infrastructure?

Straight answer is that all the mobile operator needs is a licence. The cleptocracy don't get their hands on the money so it grows. What is more, it is all private money. It is not yet revolutionising the poorest in Africa but it will as it is helping at all other levels.

You can read more here.

Hammersmith & Fulham to cut council tax

Hammersmith & Fulham council is cutting its council tax by 3%. This is good news for council tax payers as council tax accross London has gone up by 86% since 1997.

Council tax is set to rise across London again this year, so Hammersmith & Fulham are bucking this trend. What is more they are not cutting front line services to do it. Here is what they are cutting:

• £3 million saved from improved efficiency like contracting out some services and sharing others with other boroughs
• £5 million from reducing bureaucracy, staff and office costs including cutting political advisers and policy officers.
• Over £1million from increased income from expanded controlled parking, events and selling advertising space.
• £3million from getting better value for money from suppliers and from using new IT systems to cut costs.
• £0.5million from reduced debt payments.

What is impressive is that they are doing this whilst Ken Livingstone is increasing his share of the take.

Well, I suppose if Wandsworth can do it, so can Hammersmith & Fulham.

Of course all this has happened since May 2006 when Hammersmith & Fulham decisively changed hands from Labour to Conservative. We will have to see if central government reduces their grant now they are a Conservative council. Seems to be the way it works elsewhere.

You can also see this interview with Cllr Mark Loveday, Cabinet Member for Strategy on 18doughtystreet.com.

Update 12:36

I forgot to mention that Hammersmith and Fulham councils website is here, and their press release on the subject is here.

What Conservatism means to me

Is an article that I wrote for the Birmingham University Conservative Future blog here.

Please have a read.

The home Improvement Tax

This story seems to surface from time to time. You can read what the Sunday Telegraph had to say here.

Basically it seems that there is a trial in Northern Ireland (no Labour seats there) for a new way of doing what amounts to council tax.

They seem to want yearly valuations. Except these won't actually be proper valuations, because to send a qualified valuer around every year to asses the tax would have in 1997 have cost between 50 and 150% of the tax collected and would now still be a bit silly.

No they are talking about taking a base line valuation then adding for "home improvements". This would be various ways of finding out if you have done up your bathroom or put up a shed. Apparently Sir Michael Lyons who is leading an inquiry into local government finance is in favour of annual revaluations as we have the technology.

One of the problems we face is those who will not learn from history and those who have no idea how other people live. I can see two problems with this policy.

Firstly, there is the window tax case. When the window tax was introduced to raise money it was a great idea. You can now see houses built in this period because they have small windows and windows which would be there but for the tax. The ultimate result will be a cut in the home improvements business, as in DIY shops and builders. It will also mean that people who have struggled to get on the housing ladder will get penalised for fixing up their house. Not good for the economy or hard working families.

However there is the second and I suspect unintended consequence which is this: The effect on social housing.

The householder in a council or housing association house is responsible for the council tax, unless there is no adult in the house working. These houses are getting money spent on them albeit sporadically, on things like new bathrooms and double glazing. The tenant's do not get much of a say, but will be hit by an increased tax bill for some thing they have not done. Some of these people work in marginal jobs as it is, and this may push them over the edge.

You have to ask though what is the main motivation for the reform? The answer will look like a new way of raising tax, it will hit a sector of the economy and will also hit people in social housing with unexpected increases in tax. In short it will be a disaster.

Blair catches up, but after the dog

It appears that Tony Blair will say that the manner of Saddam's execution was a bit wrong. This is after Gordon Brown, John Prescott, and everyman, and their dog has already made comment on the issue.

Just goes to show that not only is he the lamest of ducks, but he is behind the times as well.


You can read the BBC on it here, and the Telegraph had this here.

I hear that other co defendants face execution during the week. If any one from the Iraqi government is reading this, the trick, people, is this: Make sure that there is only one official version, and make it look as good as possible.

Home Office Still unfit for purpose

It appears that the head of the prison service, Phil Wheatley has admitted that his service has no idea of how many escaped prisoners have been recaptured. Originally he said he did not need to know because they know who they are looking for on a local level. This has unsurprisingly drawn incredulous remarks from both the media and opposition parties who find this position a bit bonkers.

The story developed over the day, and now Phil Wheatley says there is an urgent need for a database. It seems that this is the case so hat he no longer has to face the incredulity he has faced today, rather than the more obvious reason that you need the feedback to know what is going on. We need to know how many people are left to catch, and of what class of criminal they are in order to know how big the problem is. The fact that he thinks he needs a database as some sort of PR exercise rather than the more obvious management feedback, indicates that he does not understand why he is doing what he is doing and goes to show just how bad things in the Home office really are. It is clearly still not fit for purpose, and as John Reid does not appear to have made it better I think it is safe to say that the Home office will have ended another ministerial career early. I wonder if the betting prices on John Reid becoming Leader if the Labour party will start to drift out now on the betting markets.

You can read the BBC's article here, and the Telegraphs here.

Israel's planned Nuclear attack on Iran

The Sunday Times carries this story claiming that Israel is planning a tactical nuclear strike on Iran if something is not done about Iran's nuclear program.

As the article suggests this may be a bit of brinkmanship or bluff on the part of Israel, however it is also seriously deranged.

I think most people would agree that Iran getting nuclear weapons would not be a good thing, but it is precisely this sort of threat that makes it politically justifiable in Iran to strive for a nuclear weapon. Further more nuclear weapons have not been used since World War two, and for good reason, they are an unacceptable escalation. lastly of course Israel does not admit to having nuclear weapons, and has rightly maintained "ambiguity" on the issue as a matter of policy for decades. Undoubtedly this was the right course as they could not be criticised for having something no one could prove they had, but would not be attacked as they might have it. The policy did have the issue of legitimising others in the area trying to go nuclear though. However recently Ehud Olmert in a casual slip of the tongue admitted having nuclear weapons. That clearly was a mistake.

A nuclear attack on Iran would also have much wider and more serious implications. There is already an Islamic bomb, in Pakistan, who's government would come under severe pressure in the event of a nuclear strike. It would also justify North Korea's position on nuclear weapons as well.

Interestingly Syria realised long ago that it could get away with building up chemical and biological weapons to threaten Israel with almost unnoticed until it was too late, thereby assuring that across the Golan Heights there is Mutually assured destruction. In some ways that looks positive.

Clearly what is needed is a comprehensive peace in the Middle East and a nuclear umbrella over it provided by the USA and UK. Unfortunately our record in stopping genocide since World War two probably means that won't be trusted.

Gordon Brown And Saddam Hussein

Interestingly after john Prescott condemned the nature of the hanging of Saddam Hussein as deplorable last Wednesday, Gordon Brown has joined in agreeing.

In an interview with Andrew Marr to be broadcast tomorrow, he will also describe the nature of the execution as deplorable. Good. Meanwhile Tony Blair remains silent on the issue whilst Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki says he will review relations with any country which criticises the execution. Umm... Well, if there is nothing to criticise, then why hold an enquiry?

Gordon also admits that there have been some mistakes in Iraq policy. It is so jolly good of him to notice. I wonder how that will go down in Washington though. You can see AM with Andrew Marr at 9 AM Sunday the 7th of January, or read the BBC report here or you can do both!

However on the upside, the Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki did announce a crack down on all militias no matter how they are connected politically or from what sectarian group they come from. Good I say, lets hope it works. You can read the BBC report here.

My other predictions for 2007

Politicalbetting.com is running a prediction competition for 2007, and here is my entry:

On Christmas Day 2007 who will be…?
1. Prime Minister Gordon Brown
2. Leader of the Opposition David Cameron
3. Leader of the Liberal Democrats Menzies Campbell
4. Deputy Leader of the Labour Party None
5. Chancellor of the Exchequer Douglas Alexander
6. President of France S Royal
7. Scotland’s First Minister Alex Salmond
8. Leader based on average of the three latest polls in race for the Democratic nomination Barak Obama
9. Leader based on average of the three latest polls in race for the Republican nomination John McCain

For how many days during 2007 will…?
10. Tony Blair serve as PM 280
11. Ming Campbell serve as Lib Dem Leader 365
12. David Cameron serve as Tory Leader 365
13. Lembit Opik serve as LD party spokesman on Wales and Northern Ireland 365
14. The “Cash for Honours” investigation continue without any current members of the House of Commons or the House of Lords being charged 125
15. The Conservative Party candidate “A-List” continue in its current form 365

What increase/decrease in the monthly Guardian ICM poll will there be for…?
16. Labour, compared with an average of the party’s ratings for the previous three months, when the new leader takes over the office +3%
17. Labour in the third month after the new leader has taken over compared with the first month. -5%

What will the Guardian ICM Poll report as..?
18. The Tories highest rating during the year 42
19. The Tories lowest rating during the year 34
20. The LDs highest rating during the year 22
21. The LDs lowest rating during the year 24

Seat losses and gains in the May 3rd elections.
22. Net SNP seats won/lost for the Scottish Parliament +6
23. Net PC seats won/lost for the Welsh Assembly +4
24. Net Labour seats won/lost for the Scottish Parliament -7
25. Net Labour seats won/lost for the Welsh Assembly -4
26. Net Labour seats won/lost for the local elections -550
27. Net Lib Dem seats won/lost for the local elections -75

Which is also here.

Iain Dale has his here.

You can view the whole thread here.

John Prescott and Saddam Hussein

I seldom agree with John "Two Shags" Prescott, but here I do.

I do not agree with capitol punishment, but if you are going to execute someone it must be done with some sense of dignity. This clearly was not the case here.

If you are going to execute some one, then the last people the condemned man sees are his hangman and religious minister. Witnesses are kept separate. There is no record other than the official record. No one has a camera other than the official recorder.

The Iraqi government has launched an investigation. Well, it is too late. The horse has already bolted. The man has been hanged, the die has been cast.

Less haste more speed. More brains more success.

You can read the BBC article here.

Ellie Lawrenson and the pit bull terrier

I have to say I think every ones heart has to go out to the parents of Ellie Lawrenson. Her tragic and very violent death must be painful. They will live with this for the rest of their lives. Ellie's grandmother clearly fought bravely to save the girl and was badly injured. I am surprised she fared so well.

What is it about people? take the hint from the name. A pit bull terrier is a dog that is bred to fight a bull in a pit. hardly a cuddly family pet, more like a sworn off shotgun with a hair trigger.

I understand the police are looking at criminal charges for the owner, who may be an uncle. Good. Leaving a sworn off shot gun lying about with kids around would could be negligence amounting to either manslaughter or murder.

However people should note that children and dogs need to be supervised as children can do things to dogs that may cause them to bite. Provided the dog is good tempered and the child able to learn it is not a problem, but that is seldom the case.

You can read the BBC's article here.

Smoking age set to rise

As a smoker I feel heavily put upon these days. I can work in an environment where the air is not fit to breath but can't smoke. I won't go into the rights and wrongs of that now though.

I understand the government intends to raise the age at which it is legal to buy cigarettes from 16 to 18 in October.

The reasoning seems sound. Retailers say that it is difficult to tell a 16 and 1 day old from a 16 less one say old, as there is little valid ID. If they only had to serve people above 18, then it would be easier to tell and so sales to underage children would be reduced.

Fine, I can see the logic, and I agree with the aim. However I do take issue with how it is being done. What is going to happen is that people who could legally buy cigarettes on one day may have to wait up to 1 year and 364 days to buy their next pack. That is wrong. Those who are addicted will find ways to get their cigarettes and pass them on to younger children. It would be so much better to phase in the age rise over a couple of years so as not to end up with the anomaly.

You can read the BBC's article on the subject here.

My Predictions for 2007

Here are my predictions for 2007:

• 2007 will start on January the 1st.
• There will be charges in the Cash for Peerages/Honours scandal.
• The threat of charges will cause canaries to sing.
• Charges will be brought for obstructing the police investigation.
  
• Gordon Brown will end up with a coronation in about September.
• There will be no deputy leadership election either on grounds of cost.
• There won't be a snap election, or indeed any in 2007.
• Labour will lose 350 to 500 seats in the May locals.
• Labour will lose control of the Welsh and Scottish Assemblies.
• There will be no consensus on party funding so Labour will force something through which will be unpopular in the country and will be reversed when the government changes hands.

I could go on, but I think that covers it. I think the first prediction is a cert as well ;)

Update 22:14

I forgot to say Happy New Year to every one! I hope you all had a good Christmas!

Saddam Hussein and Gerald Ford still dead

I have not said anything much about Gerald Ford, who died at 93. Seemed like a good bloke and seemed to do a good job. I was only 8 at the time he lost the election in 1976 though so I won't go on and on. Good job well done, Gerald, you had a good innings, we wish you well and may you rest in peace.

Whilst I don't agree with capital punishment, but I give no eulogy for Saddam.

What bugs me though is the 24 hour news coverage which seems to ignore all other news.

Really chaps, we get the message, there dead, and barring a miracle they will stay that way. Any chance of any news?